| Term | Definition |
|---|
| enigma | a riddle |
| apathy | lack of emotion or interest |
| indifferent | having no preference |
| revere | to worship; to honor |
| candor | frankness; honesty |
| reticent | restrained; uncommunicative |
| aesthetic | concerning art or beauty |
| ascetic | without indulgence or luxury |
| autonomy | self-rule; independence |
| disdain | contempt |
| innocuous | harmless; insignificant |
| banal | commonplace; dull, ordinary |
| ambiguous | unclear; undecided |
| anarchy | lack of government; chaos |
| ameliorate | to improve |
| atrophy | to waste away from lack of use |
| innovate | to make changes; to modernize |
| servile | overly submissive; cringing |
| extol | to praise |
| augment | to add to; to increase |
| benevolent | kindly; to wish well |
| derision | comtempt; ridicule |
| disparity | inequality |
| flagrant | glaringly wrong; conspicuously evil |
| indolence | laziness |
| acquiesce | to give in; to agree |
| prodigal | extravagant; wasteful |
| capricious | whimsical; unpredictable |
| prosaic | commonplace; uninspired; dull |
| austere | severe; strict |
| complacent | smug; self-satisfied |
| compliance | conforming to a request or demand |
| dubious | doubtful |
| ephemeral | short-lived; fleeting |
| inevitable | unavoidable; bound to happen |
| insipid | bland; boring |
| obscure | unclear; clouded; partially hidden |
| depravity | corruption; wickedness |
| discern | to distinguish one thing from another |
| expedite | to quicken |
| peripheral | on the edge; unimportant |
| tacitum | quiet; uncommunicative; silent |
| fastidious | finicky; overly critical |
| apprehensive | fearful; worried |
| expedient | advantageous; convenient |
| novel | new; interesting |
| parsimony | stinginess |
| provincial | narrowminded; unsophisticated |
| respite | a break; a rest |
| anecdote | a brief, humorous story |
| drone | to talk on and on in a dull way |
| desecrate | to show disrespect or to deface something sacred |
| euphonious | melodious; pleasant sounding |
| cacophonous | harsh sounding |
| guile | cunning; deceitfulness |
| immutable | unchanging; permanent |
| incessant | non-stop |
| static | unchanging; not moving |
| bastion | a stronghold; a fort |
| benign | kindly; good-natured |
| credulous | gullible; ready to believe without proof |
| disparage | to speak poorly of |
| eccentric | odd; out of the ordinary; quirky |
| philanthropist | someone who benefits mankind |
| squander | to waste |
| virulent | harmful |
| zeal | enthusiasm |
| acuity | sharpness of perception or mind |
| affable | friendly; agreeable |
| assuage | to reduce pain |
| avarice | greed |
| dissonance | lack of agreement or harmony |
| listless | without energy or enthusiasm |
| philistine | one who lacks culture or taste |
| scrupulous | concerned; conscientious; proper |
| tentative | not final; uncertain |
| adulation | adoration |
| dogmatic | stubbornly opinionated |
| futile | hopeless; without effect |
| languid | slow and listless |
| pious | religious; devout |
| ponderous | weighty; heavy |
| protracted | drawn out; lengthy |
| deference | a show of respect |
| heretic | someone who goes against accepted religious beliefs |
| paucity | scarcity |
| profuse | very abundant; flowing |
| conciliate | to soothe anger |
| contrite | thoroughly sorry |
| didactic | intending to teach |
| diffident | shy; lacking confidence |
| digression | straying from a topic |
| dissent | disagreement |
| elucidate | to explain; to make clear |
| gullible | overly trusting |
| strut | a self-important walk |
| denounce | to speak against publicly |
| laud | to praise |
| surreptitious | secret |
| astute | clever; shrewd; ready-witted |
| blasphemy | irreverent talk about God |
| censure | severely criticize; blame |
| pedestrian | commonplace; ordinary |
Combine with other sets
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